When I talk to potential hybrid and elelctric car buyers, one of their concerns always seems to be the cost of battery replacement. If I had to guess, I’d say that this is because so many people have replaced their standard lead-acid car batteries. It’s natural to assume that you’ll have a certain expense if you’ve had it once before.

Are you thinking about buying a new Prius, Volt, or Leaf, but concerned about battery pack replacement costs? Don’t be.

However, the typical lead-acid car battery has little in common with the advanced battery packs found in hybrids and electric cars.

According to a May 2008 report from HybridCars.com, only 0.2% of Honda owners and 0.3% of Toyota Prius owners replaced their battery pack outside of warranty. HybridCars.com estimated that failure rates on first generation Prius battery packs were less than 1% at that time.

After diving into hybrid battery pack costs and failure rates, and other website (GreenCarReports.com) reported that most Prius battery packs will never require replacement – they will function well enough that they’ll last just as long as the rest of the car.

Automotive Leasing Guide, which conducts extensive research and analysis into the long-term operating costs of vehicles, has told Auto Week that “Given the improvements in battery technology, ALG does not expect battery life to be an impactful issue on vehicle value,” which is a long way of saying that battery pack replacement costs don’t effect many vehicle owners.

While it’s true that no on can predict the future, it seems safe to assume that most hybrid and electric car buyers aren’t going to have to invest in a new battery pack.

SO, if you’re worried about buying a new hybrid or electric car because of concerns about buying a replacement battery pack, don’t.

About The Author

Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of AccurateAutoAdvice.com. Jason has worked in the auto industry since 1998, including nearly 10 years of auto dealership experience. Jason started out as a salesperson and worked his way thru finance manager, sales manager, used car manager, and new car manager. Jason is also a bit of an expert on dealership service and repair, as well as the parts business. Jason has been cited as an auto expert by the BBC, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Newsweek, and more.